Glasgow Airport Movements 2020
March
*Page under construction*
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March 2020
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April 2020
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May 2020
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June 2020
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July 2020
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August 2020
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September 2020
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October 2020
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November 2020
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December 2020
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COVID-19: World at War
This month. within the space of a couple of weeks, the United Kingdom joined numerous other nations across the globe in a desperate battle to control the spread of potentially lethal COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China. The pathogen primarily spreads between people in a similar way to influenza, via respiratory droplets produced during coughing or sneezing. The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically five days, but may range from two to fourteen days, so carriers may be unaware.
If it wasn`t already apparent to most, at the end of this month, following the continued upsurge of cases and fatalities across the globe, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the current coronavirus / COVID-19 outbreak is the biggest challenge for the world since World War Two. He said, and many experts agree, that it will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past. Apart from stringent hygiene, the most effective way to limit exposure is by social distancing. International and domestic transport basically ground to a halt, businesses large and small collapsed, many overnight leaving masses of people jobless and without funds. A desperate race to source, produce and distribute equipment and personal protective gear for front-line workers followed.
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By Tuesday 31 March, the number of confirmed cases around the world neared 900,000, with more than 45,000 deaths. Over 190,000 people are recorded as having had COVID-19 but recovered. Spain and Italy are the worst European countries to be affected so far but in the 24 hour period prior to 17:00 hrs on March 31, another 563 people died in the UK after testing positive, bringing the total number of deaths here to 2,352. Among the victims was a 13-year-old boy. The first death due to COVID-19 in the UK was a single fatality on 6 March. It`s said that Great Britain is around 2 weeks behind the even more horrendous situation Spain and Italy faces. The total number of fatalities in the latter country stood close to 12,500 by month`s end with Spain`s fast approaching 8,500.
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As of Friday 13 March, United States President Donald Trump suspended air travel between the United States and Europe, including the UK. Trump made the announcement in an Oval Office address to the nation, blaming the European Union for not acting quickly enough to address the outbreak of the virus and saying US clusters were `seeded` by European travellers.
, for 30 days starting on Friday as he seeks to combat the coronavirus. to edit)* The death toll in the US exceeded 4,000 by the end of the month which is higher than the declared number of fatalities in China, where the outbreak began late last year. More than 189,000 people in the country had been infected with New York City and New York State being the epicentre. |
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(US images © NBC / Newsweek / Reuters, FT & Business Insider.)
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Following the unprecedented downturn in air travel, BA elected to store some of its A321 and A320s at Glasgow. The first batch arrived on Tuesday 17 March.
Flybe collapse
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On Wednesday 4 March, even before the pandemic took hold across the British Isles, struggling airline Flybe admitted that it was facing fresh doubts over its future despite the announcement of a possible rescue package. The proposed £100m government loan to help stabilise the business until the end of the month proved too little too late, especially taking into account the likely impact of Coronavirus on its bookings.
Flybe, which had operated almost 40% of UK domestic flights, went into administration in the early hours of Thursday 5 March, with the loss of 2,400 jobs. The carrier was the fourth UK airline to go bust in a little over two years, following just months after the demise of travel group Thomas Cook. The GMB union warned that up to 1,700 further job losses at airports and in the supply chain could follow. It claimed eight regional airports could close, where more than half of the routes were filled by Flybe. 
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Flybe’s chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: “The UK has lost one of its greatest regional assets. Flybe has been a key part of the UK aviation industry for four decades, connecting regional communities, people and businesses across the entire nation.”
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One of the worst-hit airports was Southampton where Flybe was responsible for 95% of all flights. Apart from the airline`s staff, numerous people soon found themselves out of work, whether part of the airport management team, in ground handling companies, shop workers, local taxi and car hire companies, and many of those in the supply chain. Demand for regional connectivity remains and is seen as vital for many communities. Although things at Southampton initially looked bleak, a spokesperson for airport said that back-filling and rebuilding its route network had already seen success in securing the services of Loganair and Eastern Airways. There are also plans to extend the runway which would enable larger airliners to operate, enabling thousands of travellers in the south to avoid the congested hubs of Heathrow and Gatwick. Unfortunately, the optimistic outlook was short lived with the effects of Coronavirus kicking in soon after the announcement was made.
When Flybe folded, British Airways quickly reacquired 12 London Heathrow slots from the defunct regional carrier. These had originally been divested to satisfy competition regulators. Flybe had opened services from LHR in 2017 after obtaining slots from Virgin Atlantic’s short-haul subsidiary Little Red, which stopped operating in 2015. Virgin Atlantic acquired 12 daily slots at Heathrow in 2012, after they were released by BA parent IAG as part of a regulatory remedy to address competition concerns when it took over rival BMI. BA had intended to use its new slots for five daily services to Edinburgh, three to Aberdeen, and four to Newquay, using Airbus A319s instead of Flybe’s turboprop Dash 8s but the situation is no longer clear. Flybe had been holding a peak allocation of 204 weekly slots at Heathrow for summer 2020.
Three Flybe DHC8-4s, namely G-JECP,G-JEDV and G-ECOB, were impounded at Glasgow following the collapse. They are pictured here early on Thursday 5 March. They were towed to Area R on the 18th for long term storage. Soon after, various jet airliners began to arrive: British Airways A321 and A320s parked up on Taxiway Yankee and these were followed by TUI 737s and a couple of Virgin Atlantic heavies. Although Glasgow could easily accommodate more airliners on Taxiway Y, which is the old runway, safety regulations mean that enough space must be left around each plane to allow for periodic engine runs.
The trio of ex-Flybe Dash 8s on Area R. Saturday 21 March 2020.
Scottish carrier Loganair was quick to step in after Flybe ceased trading, taking on a number of routes left vacant. The expansion required the recruitment of additional personnel, whether pilots, cabin crew or for ground / admin operations and ex-Flybe staff were given priority for any new positions.
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Loganair had already announced that it had entered into a code-share agreement with KLM and this kicked-off on 29 March, although the benefits of the new partnership were short-lived. Once the travel restrictions are lifted, the network extension will see both carriers offering more destinations including joint flights to Orkney, the Shetland Islands, and the Scottish Western Isles. Loganair currently connects to the extensive KLM network via Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.
Edinburgh: Six Nations Scotland v France Rugby Charters
Trade Air A320-214 9A-BTH was operating flights to Toulouse and Grenoble.
Every two years, Scotland play France at Murrayfield, a clash which attracts a large number of travelling French supporters, most of whom make their way to the the Scottish capital by air. Traditionally, most of the airliners stay over until the Monday morning to allow the French fans to celebrate or, as it turned out on this occasion, to drown their sorrows in Edinburgh`s bars, restaurants and clubs. France's hopes of a Six Nations Grand Slam were shattered after a revitalised Scotland inflicted their fourth consecutive Murrayfield defeat on the visitors. Final score: Scotland 28-17 France.
The game was played on Sunday 8 March 2020 and, having been through to Edinburgh to catch some of the charter flights in February 2018, I returned on Monday 9 March this year expecting another crop of interesting planes, including some seldom seen at Scottish airports. However, in complete contrast to the match, the aircraft situation was a disappointment; almost every flight was operated by an Enter Air or ASL Airlines` Boeing 737, with some planes making return visits during the day. There wasn`t a great deal of business traffic either but the appearance of Cessna Citation Latitude F-HSFJ (see Biz Jet Section below) at Glasgow on the 8th was likely connected with the match.
Above: A Qatar Airways A350 heads back to Doha from Edinburgh on 9 March. The carrier was one of the last major operators to drastically cut back on its passenger flights following the escalation of the COVID-19 outbreak. Cargo flights continue as normal and are essential for numerous reasons, including the delivery of provisions and other day-to-day needs, as well as distributing vital medical supplies and personal protection equipment for front-line workers.
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Given the escalating situation regarding the Coronavirus, I was surprised to hear that one of the Ryanair flights departing from Edinburgh early on Monday 9 March was bound for Bergamo. Initially it was only northern Italy that was subject to increasingly stringent travel restrictions, but now the whole country is effectively in lock down. The disease continued to spread at an alarming rate which led to the World Health Organisation classing the threat as a pandemic. This is defined as the worldwide spread of a new disease, whereas an outbreak is the occurrence of cases beyond normal expectations, and an epidemic is an excess amount of people with an illness, or other health-related event, but contained for the most part in a community or region.
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The impact of the disease on air travel has been swift and devastating. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, effectively closed their borders and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised against all but essential travel to parts of Spain as well as the whole of Poland. US travel restrictions hit all transatlantic routes from the middle of March, further denting an already struggling aviation sector. The UK's airlines have warned that the industry may not survive the coronavirus pandemic without emergency financial support and have asked the government for a package worth several billion pounds.
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Normally packed year-round, this was Milan`s Duomo square and St Mark`s Square, Venice, earlier this month. (Images © UPI / RFI / France 24).
Here, workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant inside USA-bound planes at Incheon International Airport, South Korea. The Coronavirus epidemic shifted increasingly westward toward the Middle East, Europe and the United States, with governments taking emergency steps to ease shortages of masks and other supplies for front-line doctors, nurses and emergency services personnel. (Following image © Business Insider Magazine).
Trump also announced the US would defer tax payments due to the government for some of those impacted for three months amid measures to lessen the financial impact of virus. Stock and shares // markets worldwide have plummeted etc* Congress, for its part, unveiled a multi-billion dollar aid package as major sporting fixtures were cancelled and attractions including Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland, California, closed. Cruise ships across the globe returned to their home ports with operators also braced for a massive financial hit. In Europe, Disneyland Paris, numerous museums and other places of interest also shut down until further notice.
People will be encouraged to keep a social distance from each other and encouraged to work from home as the UK moves into the lockdown phase of responding to the disease. The “social distancing” tactics are the main tools available to try to prevent accelerated transmission when no vaccine is yet available. They are also widely understood to have been behind the slowed spread in China, where the outbreak began. In the UK 460 people have now tested positive for coronavirus with eight deaths recorded. On Wednesday the first case of coronavirus caused by "community transmission" within Scotland was revealed by the Scottish Government. Nine more people tested positive for the bug across Scotland - bringing the total here to 36. UK shutdown plan as Coronavirus 'delay' phase to start with schools to close and large gatherings cancelled. (to edit)* (Above Image © Getty / Daily Record).
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Mid-morning on Saturday 14 March, a number of Jet2 flights bound for Spain turned around in mid-air etc. Spain in lock down (etc)** and the notice on the left appeared on the carrier`s Twitter page soon after.
Norwegian, which had already been facing an uncertain future prior to the Coronavirus spread, etc British Airways etc / major US carriers // Airliners placed etc into storage - Virgin Atlantic flew a number* of ?? to Prestwick etc |
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Jet Airliners
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Many carriers with large fleets had to distribute their fleet among various UK airfields for long term storage. British Airways sent six Airbus A321s and an A320 to Glasgow, all of which parked up on Taxiway Yankee. The aircraft involved were A321s G-EUXC call-sign BAW9254, G-EUXG c/s BAW9255, G-EUXH c/s BAW9256, G-EUXK c/s BAW9257, G-EUXL c/s BAW9258, G-EUXM c/s BAW9259, plus A320 G-MIDT c/s BAW9251, all of which flew up from London on Tuesday 17 March. Virgin Boeing 747-41R G-VXLG arrived for storage on the 19th.
The following day, they were joined by Airbus A330-223 G-VMIK Virgin Atlantic (above), plus the following BA Airbuses: A320-232s G-EUUF c/s BAW9253, G-EUYH c/s BAW9255, G-EUYM c/s BAW9258 and A319-131 G-DBCE BAW9254. The A330 parked beside the company Jumbo next to the Loganair hangar. Three additional British Airways A321-231s, G-MEDF, G-MEDG and G-MEDU, flew up on the 31st for storage. London Gatwick Airport ceased all commercial flights until further notice later the same day.
These shots show the first batch of BA Airbuses to appear at Glasgow.
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easyJet was heavily involved in bringing travellers back to the UK as services began to shut down. The following shot was taken late afternoon on the 17th...
On Monday 30 March, however, easyJet, which had up until then flown 650 rescue flights repatriating around 45,000 Britons stranded abroad, took the decision to ground its entire fleet. The budget airline said that it had made the move due to the unprecedented travel restrictions imposed by governments globally due to the pandemic. This announcement was a major blow to the hundreds of thousands of anxious UK nationals abandoned, not just in other European countries, but across the globe who have no means of returning home. The number of available commercial flights worldwide is reducing daily and most of those still operating are charging exorbitant fares. Later the same day, however, following much adverse criticism regarding lack of action, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab intimated that those stranded abroad will be flown home under a new arrangement between the government and various UK carriers. British Airways, Virgin, Jet2 and Titan are among airlines that have agreed to bring Britons back to the UK, and easyJet planes will fly once again under the scheme, for which £75 million has been pledged.
The above slideshow features shots of the stored aircraft on approach, arriving or parked up on various days between 17 and 20 March.
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Many of the world's airports are being converted into storage facilities for aircraft as airlines drastically reduce their operations. Frankfurt Airport, Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, among others, have closed runways and taxiways to accommodate excess aircraft from major airlines.
These BBC News shots show aircraft stored at various UK airports as a result of the pandemic: Bournemouth (above) is now home to numerous BA A320 and A321s; London City Airport is pictured on the right, although most of the BA Cityflyer Embraer E170 and E190s have relocated to either Norwich or Southend airports. I believe the following image of parked BA 747s was taken at Cardiff. (Image credits: © BBC /AFP; Getty; Reuters; PA Media and NPAS.) |
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Even before the travel restrictions and downturn in flights took effect there had been little in the way of noteworthy airliners visiting Glasgow this month. I had hoped that this winter would provide a snow covered mountain backdrop for aircraft on approach for Runway 05, but despite the high tops north of the Central belt receiving a decent dump earlier this year, the winds blew mainly from the west, or skies were too cloudy. It was mid-March before optimum wind direction, sunny skies and reasonable visibility combined but by that time most of the snow had melted.
easyJet A319-111 G-EZAJ on approach for Runway 05. Friday 20 March 2020.
Triple-seven A6-EGJ is seen here moments from landing on 16 March with A6-ECT (below) snapped the next day. As per an UAE government directive, Emirates temporarily suspended all passenger services from 25 March 2020. A380 flights *
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Sport worldwide // Rangers and Celtic in Europe etc* These airliners, Eurowings ??? D-AEWT and Boeing 737-86J(WL) D-ABMV TUI (Cewe Fotobuch Livery) connected with Bayern game will likely be the last football-related charters for a while...
(Corfu 2018)* etc Link* TUI Boeing 737-8K5 D-ATUH, decked out in the airline’s Cewe fotobuch livery, made several appearances during the week. It`s pictured above inbound from Hannover, early on Tuesday 5 June. The shots below show it lining up for a Runway 35 departure on Saturday 2 June. (to edit)*
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Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
Airliners visiting this month included; Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIU Icelandair (Aurora Borealis livery) and Boeing 737-8AS(WL) SP-RKK (f/v) Ryanair Sun (2nd); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPF Emirates (Expo 2020 green livery) (3rd); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPL Emirates (Expo 2020 green) (4th); Embraer ERJ-190AR EI-GHK Stobart Air (5th); Airbus A320-251N G-TTNK British Airways (f/v) (6th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPU Emirates (Expo 2020 green) plus Boeing 737-86J(WL) D-ABMV TUI fly (11th); Airbus A320-214(WL) D-AEWT Eurowings (12th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-EPB Emirates (Expo 2020 blue) and Airbus A320-251N G-UZLJ easyJet (f/v) (13th); Boeing 777 A6-EPB returned (14th); Boeing 777-31H(ER) A6-ENR Emirates (Expo 2020 orange) (18th); Airbus A321-251NX G-NEOZ (f/v) British Airways (21st); Airbus A320-214 EI-DEC Aer Lingus (25th); Airbus A310-308 C-GSAT Air Transat (poss the carrier`s last A310 flight to / from Glasgow**) and Airbus A320-214 EI-DEI Aer Lingus (Irish Rugby Team Livery) (26th); A320-214 EI-CVA Aer Lingus (27th); A320-214 EI-CVB Aer Lingus (28th); A320-216 EI-FNJ Aer Lingus (29th).
Below: Icelandair Boeing 757-256(WL) TF-FIK Bláfjall burns some rubber on landing. Tuesday 17 March 2020...
Turboprop Airliners
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Intro* ATR 72-600 G-FBXA Loganair (3rd); ATR 72-600 EI-GPO Stobart Air (10th); Swearingen SA.227DC Metro 23 OY-NPE of North Flying called in on the 11th. ATR 72-500 F-WTBA (12th);
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ATR 72-600 EI-FAU about to line-up for takeoff on Tuesday 17 March.
including Inverness Airport (below??**) // Image © Ross-shire Journal // Our eleven airports are following public health advice in relation to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Health Protection Scotland (HPS) is the specialist health agency which is advising on the situation and all our local airport teams continue to follow their advice and work closely with all relevant agencies.
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A number of airlines have cancelled flights in response to the latest travel advice regarding Coronavirus. HIAL’s priority is to continue to provide the lifeline services that are essential for our communities whilst maintaining the health and well being of its staff. Therefore, HIAL is reviewing the operating hours at each of its 11 airports to accommodate current airline timetables whilst at the same time maintaining staff resilience to ensure lifeline services can continue. (to edit)* 26.3.20.
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Image © HIAL/ Daily Record** // HIAL say they are working alongside Transport Scotland and Loganair to ensure they maintain resilience to enable them to continue to safely service essential flights with the minimum staffing levels required. // The company operates and manages 11 airports across the country at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick. // Managing director, Inglis Lyon, said: “Our airports are unique in that their core role is to provide lifeline services for our communities in the Highlands and Islands. They are essential to the continued delivery of medical and other critical supplies, the transport of key workers and also enable emergency flights for island communities. // “Now more than ever there is a need to safeguard those vital services. // “I appreciate this crisis is unknown territory for all of us and at this time we do not know how long these essential measures will remain in place. “We could not maintain these services for our communities without the extraordinary team spirit and commitment displayed by our staff right across the HIAL group and I am indebted to them for their continued flexibility and dedication during a very difficult time for us all.”
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Biz-Jets
Gulfstream G650ER VP-CYL parked on the north-side. Sunday 8 March 2020.
Intro* / Bombardier Challenger C-GORD, Citation Bravo D-CHZF Tyrol Air Ambulance and Learjet 60 D-CFAQ (2nd); Bombardier Challenger 350 CS-CHA and CitationJet CJ1 9H-GIO (3rd); CitationJet 9H-GIO left and returned (4th); Gulfstream IV N151SD, Citation M1 M-KNOX and Phenom 300 LX-TAC (6th); Gulfstream G650ER VP-CYL (7th); Embraer Legacy 600 G-LEGC, Cessna Citation Latitude F-HSFJ and Phenom 300 D-CSCE (8th); Cessna Citation XLS SE-RIL (9th)...
Cessna Citation XLS G-LEAX (11th); Embraer ERJ 135BJ Legacy 650 G-WIRG Air Charter Scotland (13th); Gulfstream IV N818ME (14th); Embraer Legacy 500 G-ESNA and Phenom 300 D-CTOR (16th); Cessna Citation Bravo G-CMBC (18th); Citation XLS+ D-CEFO (22nd); Citation Bravo OE-GPS Tyrol Air Ambulance (24th); Citation X D-BEEP Air X Charter (30th);
Embraer Legacy 600 G-LEGC and Phenom 300 LX-TAC on Area Juliet. Sunday 8 March 2020.
Chinese-registered Global 6000 B-7699 of ZYB Lily Jet / Yaqi Group, pictured here on Saturday 21 March, would be a somewhat unusual visitor at any time, but even more so during the current crisis. It had arrived the previous day. The shot below shows Phenom 300 D-CTOR on short finals for Runway 23 on the 16th.
General Aviation
Eurocopter EC145 T2 G-GSAS, pictured here on 17 March, is a fairly new addition to the Scottish Ambulance Glasgow-based fleet.
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Once again, only a few visitors worth mentioning in this category: King Air 200 G-REXA (1st); King Air 200 M-CDMS and Cirrus SR22 N224CE (3rd); Pilatus PC-12 OK-CTP (4th); King Air 90GTi M-TSRI (5th); King Air 350 G-SRBM and King Air 200 G-REXA again (6th); King Air 350 M-LLMW (9th); King Air 200 G-YVIP (10th)...
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain G-IFIT (11th); King Air 350 M-LLMW returned, plus King Air 200 G-RAFL (12th); King Air 200 G-RAFL returned (14th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (16th); King Air 200 G-DXTR and Piper PA-28 Warrior II G-LFSJ (19th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL and EC-145T-2 G-ISAS (20th); Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (23rd); King Air 200 G-FLYK (24th); King Air 200 G-GMAE and Pilatus PC-12 G-OMSL (26th). |
These shots show Manx-registered King Air 200GT M-CDBM using a `Vickers` call-sign on approach for Runway 05 on 13 March. The aircraft was on the ground only briefly before returning to Walney Island off the Cumbrian Coast. The small airport (Barrow/Walney Island Airport) near Barrow-in-Furness is privately owned by BAE Systems. The airfield dates from 1935 and was initially used for military purposes. Barrow council purchased the facility after the Second World War, then it was purchased by Vickers in 1968, remaining with the company's successors ever since. A few attempts to operate scheduled passenger services from the airport have been made, none of which lasted longer than two years.
King Air 200 G-RAFL and King Air 350 M-LLMW made multiple visits this month. They`re pictured here on Thursday 12 March.
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I snapped AgustaWestland AW189 G-MCGS from my house as the HM Coastguard chopper flew east above the Clyde on 6 March, possibly en route to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (above). The Charity Air Ambulance machine (below right) was checking out landing approaches to the QEUH and the Royal Alexandria Hospital (RAH) at Paisley on the afternoon of the 20th.
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Below: The RAH can be seen in the foreground with Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Abbey beyond...
The Golden Jubilee Hospital on the north bank of the Clyde at Dalmuir is another local facility with a heli-pad.
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The River Clyde and the Black Cart Water were flowing higher than usual on Thursday 12 March when these shots were taken.
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Military
Like thousands of others, I`d already reserved my tickets for this year`s RIAT in July but along with the Farnborough Airshow, Cosford Air Show and Royal Navy International Air Day at Yeovilton, the Fairford event has been cancelled which was inevitable considering the current COVID-19 threat. The RIAT organisers hope to reinstate the Tattoo in 2021 which would prove extremely challenging even if by then the virus is contained to an acceptable level. Shots taken at last year`s show can be viewed here.
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The first RAF P-8A Poseidon MRA Mk.1 ZP801 (f/v) which had been crew training at Prestwick did two touch-and-goes on Runway 23 at Glasgow about 15:50 hrs on Wednesday 4 March. This was followed by another RAF heavy in the shape of Boeing E-3D Sentry ZH106 call-sign `NATO 32` which did a touch-and-go on the same runway on Friday 6 March.
US Air Force Beechcraft MC-12W Liberty 08-0329 call-sign `Elvis 18` arrived later that day for a night stop. MC-12S Huron 11-00268 (c/s `Elvis 69`) night-stopped 11th / 12th);
Early this month, before the etc* Russian military aircraft came close to British airspace on three separate occasions etc*
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Six RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft as they approached British airspace, the Ministry of Defence has said. The Russian bombers were tracked heading towards the north-west coast of Scotland on Saturday 7 March. It prompted the air force to deploy three pairs of Typhoons from its Quick Reaction Alert programme. Two pairs left from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, while the third flew from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Flying in formation, two pairs approached the aircraft before withdrawing, while the third pair forced them to change course. Six RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft as they approached British airspace, the Ministry of Defence has said. The Russian bombers were tracked heading towards the north-west coast of Scotland on Saturday 7 March.
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It prompted the air force to deploy three pairs of Typhoons from its Quick Reaction Alert programme. Two pairs left from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, while the third flew from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Flying in formation, two pairs approached the aircraft before withdrawing, while the third pair forced them to change course. (Response - to edit)* The Russian aircraft were later identified as Tupolev Tu Bears, which are used both as strategic bombers and long-range maritime patrol planes. The total number of Russian aircraft involved in the incident has not been revealed.
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"This was a routine response to Russian aircraft approaching UK air space and was coordinated with several other Nato allies," and RAF spokesman said. RAF Lossiemouth tweeted: "At no point did these aircraft enter UK sovereign airspace. "The Russian aircraft were shadowed by our Typhoons, along with (Quick Reaction Alert) aircraft from our NATO partners in Norway and France." It added: "We are ready to respond to any unidentified aircraft and potential airborne threats, 24/7/365."
Last month, RAF jets were scrambled from Lossiemouth after reports of unidentified aircraft flying towards UK airspace. The aircraft, thought to have been Russian bombers, were spotted off Shetland. The bombers were not intercepted as they remained outside of the area considered UK airspace. (to edit)** (Typhoon / Bear images © MOD / Crown copyright). |
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Back at Glasgow, Lockheed KC-130T tanker 165352/NY, of the US Marine Corps, using the call-sign `Yankee 98`, arrived about 17:00 hrs on Monday 9 March and parked up on Taxiway Y for an overnight stop. RAF BAe146-100 CC.2 ZE700 paid a visit on the 24th.
Prestwick movements (27th: ZM404 A400M RAF `COMET 461` XW220 PUMA RAF WARLOCK ZA940 PUMA RAF WARLOCK XW204 PUMA RAF WARLOCK, ZH845 EH101 RN `TIGER 63`?* RAF Puma HC.2. XW220 call-sign `Warlock One` (29th); Grob Tutor T1s G-BYXO and G-CGKR of the University Air Squadron visited on Friday 13 March. The locally-based UAS aircraft managed a fair number of training sorties during the month. |
Joint Warrior JW 20:1
The latest of the twice-yearly Joint Warrior military exercises had been due to take place between Friday 28 March and Thursday 9 April 2020. These are usually large-scale events with numerous warships berthing on the Clyde at either Faslane Naval Base or Glasgow`s KGV Dock before hand, but unsurprisingly the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted proceedings. I thought that the escalating spread of the virus would have resulted cancellation of the exercise altogether but several naval vessels could be tracked at the end of the month, operating in the exercise area off Scotland`s west coast. Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS Sutherland (F81) and an unidentified Norwegian submarine had called in at HMNB Clyde for a briefing, while HDMS Absalon (L16) of the Royal Danish Navy and Type 704 Rhön-class tanker FGS Rhön (A1443) took up station directly.
Following Carrier image © Reuters.com / Business Insider Magazine. Above shot & Charles de Gaulle flight deck image © Seawaves Magazine.
aircraft / Prestwick etc*
Charles de Gaulle *
Construction & Development
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It was confirmed this month that planning permission has been granted for the new manufacturing centre of expertise next to Glasgow Airport. The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) will include a skills academy and industry-led research and development facilities. NMIS aims to support businesses across the country and attract investment. It is a key part of the Scottish government's manufacturing action plan, which aims to help Scotland become a world leader in advanced manufacturing.
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The facility at the 52-hectare Netherton Campus in Renfrewshire is being supported by, among others, the Scottish government, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and Renfrewshire Council. More than £65m is being invested in the centre, including £8m by Strathclyde, which is the facility's anchor university, and £48m by the Scottish government. It will form part of the developing advanced manufacturing innovation district, which includes the Advanced Forming Research Centre at Inchinnan and the new Lightweight Manufacturing Centre in Renfrew.
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With regard to the NMIS, no date has been set for the start of construction, but preparatory work funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal on the district's enabling infrastructure continues at a steady pace. Those behind the project maintain that once fully developed, the district could potentially attract up to 6,000 jobs and deliver an annual economic injection of £535m. Computer generated `fly-through` aerial views on the Paisley.is website show how the airport and surrounding area will look once the project is complete: click here to view. (to edit)*
These shots of the preparatory work for the new cycleway / pedestrian footbridge over the Black Cart were taken on 16 March.
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On Sunday 8 March, five Roe deer feeding between Walkinshaw Road and the south bank of the Black Cart Water which was far wider than usual thanks to the high tide and recent rainfall etc.**
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The shots in the slideshow on the left were taken on various days this month and include wildlife snapped at other locations close to the airport, including my garden. (to edit)*
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As of Tuesday 24 March, unprecedented restrictions were put in place by the Government to restrict unnecessary movement and gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Cafes, pubs, restaurants and most shops apart from supermarkets closed and non-essential work ceased, including construction projects.
These shots of the new footpath at the south end of Abbotsinch Road were taken shortly before the ban halted operations. (to edit)*
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